McKittrick Canyon
Guadalupe Mountains National Park, Texas · 5,014 ft
Bigtooth maple, velvet ash, and chinkapin oak follow a spring-fed creek walled in by fossil limestone reef. The Pratt Cabin stretch 2.4 miles in has the tightest concentration of maple over water.
Typical peak
Oct 19 – Oct 27
Long range. Treat as a planning estimate only.
Best light
Best under flat overcast
Crowds
high
Busy through peak. Be parked before sunrise or expect to walk in.
Getting there
Turn off US-62/180 at the McKittrick Canyon road about seven miles northeast of Pine Springs and drive four miles to the trailhead lot; the entrance gate opens at 8 a.m. and locks in the evening.
What turns here
- bigtooth maple
- chinkapin oak
- gray oak
- velvet ash
Color progression
Typical peak Oct 23Typical color progression for McKittrick Canyon. No change from Sep 15 to Oct 2. First color from Oct 2 to Oct 11. Approaching peak from Oct 11 to Oct 19. Peak from Oct 19 to Oct 27. Past peak from Oct 27 to Nov 6. Bare from Nov 6 to Nov 20.
Color starts around Oct 2.
Light at peak
McKittrick Canyon on October 23, the day it typically peaks. Knowing when color arrives is one thing. Knowing where the sun will be is another.
| Event | Time |
|---|---|
| First light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:43 AM |
| Sunrise Rises ESE · 103° | 7:08 AM |
| Morning golden hour ends 33 min of low, warm light | 7:41 AM |
| Solar noon Highest sun, flattest light | 12:43 PM |
| Evening golden hour starts 33 min before sunset | 5:45 PM |
| Sunset Sets WSW · 257° | 6:18 PM |
| Last light (blue hour) Sun 6° below horizon | 6:43 PM |
Times in America/Denver · day length 11h 10m · computed from NOAA solar equations
Which way to point the camera
Sun rises ESE, sets WSW.
Aim within 45° of those and the canopy glows translucent. Turn your back to them for flat, accurate color.
Location pages name the light directly.
Shooting conditions
Glassy water, wind blur, and what the cloud will do to your light.
Recent reports
What people actually saw here. Been recently? Add yours.